Did you know that GraniteGrok is on the edge of an existential crisis? Okay, that’s a bit hyperbolic, but we are confronted with a situation that could handicap our ability to deliver content the way we have in the past on the cusp of another significant election year.
Donate via the GiveSendGo campaign page, through the website, or send a check:
Email steve@granitegrok.com for the mailing address.
What happened?
My current job allows me to break away (most days, for a few minutes here and there) to manage content throughout the day. Some days more than others, but a few minutes here and there makes a huge difference. That is about to change. My department had been outsourced. Five people, including myself, are getting laid off. It stinks, but we see it as an opportunity.
GraniteGrok has a heap of projects hanging in limbo that need a pilot, and adding a full-time paid position can solve some problems, not just my impending unemployment. With the 2024 presidential primary and election on tap, it would be nice to have a body that could show up, report, and dig deeper than we typically have.
The alternative to this would be a diminished online presence as work and life put GraniteGrok onto the back burner, and we do not want to cede this space. New Hampshire media is captured by the political establishment. COVID confirmed that. GraniteGrok, on the other hand, provides a media alternative and an outlet for public opinion you can’t find anywhere else.
We need to raise a lot of money to avoid losing a step. It’s a big ask. The goal is $60,000.00 to cover the first year of salary and expenses.
We’ve set up a GiveSendGo to get started. It’s a lot, but it’s not. We need (12) $5000.00 donors, or (60) $1000.00 donors or (120) 500.00 donors, or (600) $100.00 donors. And lots of smaller donations which will add up as well.
One or two more significant donations from folks with the means will get us there faster if that’s you and you can help us. If you know someone who might offer that level of support, please reach out to them or us or both.
We’re not going away regardless, but we could lose a step or two. We’d rather grow forward than slip backward.
You can use the GiveSendGo campaign page or donate through the website. If you prefer to donate by check, please email me (steve@granitegrok.com), and I’ll give you the official Grok mailing address.
And yes, this is very uncomfortable. We don’t like asking for donations, but it has kept the lights on for 17 years when we’ve not paid the operating costs ourselves. Folks have been generous and kind in the past, and we genuinely appreciate it. But this is a big corner we need to turn.
The end of my current situation looms. If we can put a dent in this goal, it will allow me to pick up the reins and run for at least a few months while we continue to fundraise to meet the goal.
If you can donate 100.00 or more, you will be added to a list of “subscribers” who, when we finally get an ad-free VIP option built – another item on the to-do list – you will automatically be eligible for that for the first 12 months as well as free access to GrokMeet’s or any other Grok event with a cover charge (when we finally get those up and running again).
We hope you can help, and thank you in advance for your support.